New water restriction tariffs hit Cape Town: what you need to know

[Gordon_R]

however it is still the responsibility of the city to ensure that development of resources keeps apace with population growth and development.
[snip]
Not only that but those kind of measures usually impact the poor / lower classes the most.

Did you read the previous page on this thread? Water supply is a national competency, local municipatlies cannot unilaterally develop their own sources.

The poor are constitutionally guaranteed access to water. This is catered for by the 6kl/pm tariff band by the CoCT, and free for properties valued under R400K: http://resource.capetown.gov.za/doc.../Water_and_sanitation_restriction_Tariffs.pdf

Edit: Installation of water demand management devices has been free to all indigent households since 2011: http://www.capetown.gov.za/Family a...-sanitation-services/water-management-devices

All the recent discussion in this forum is around middle income property owners with gardens who are being squeezed because of natural circumstances. A similiar situation applies in other droughtr stricken areas . It should have nothing to do with party politics IMO...

 

[2023]

Did you read the previous page on this thread? Water supply is a national competency, local municipatlies cannot unilaterally develop their own sources.

The poor are constitutionally guaranteed access to water. This is catered for by the 6kl/pm tariff band by the CoCT, and free for properties valued under R400K: http://resource.capetown.gov.za/doc.../Water_and_sanitation_restriction_Tariffs.pdf

Edit: Installation of water demand management devices has been free to all indigent households since 2011: http://www.capetown.gov.za/Family a...-sanitation-services/water-management-devices

All the recent discussion in this forum is around middle income property owners with gardens who are being squeezed because of natural circumstances. A similiar situation applies in other droughtr stricken areas . It should have nothing to do with party politics IMO...

What are you on about here?

 

[Gordon_R]

What are you on about here?

The supply of bulk water is a national competency, since the Water Act introduced by Kader Asmal centralised the rights to all water in South Africa.

Water delivery is a local competency.

 

[Zoomzoom]

What are you on about here?

It is not so simple to do what the DA (and you) are doing and turn around and blame the Dep. of Water Affairs for the crisis. It is the responsibility of the local authority to ensure that they motivate for what they need from government. If CT needed new dams it is and was the responsibility of the municipality to put together a proposal or submit whatever particular paperwork is necessary to get the funding.

When the Berg River dam was completed in 2009 the expectation was that it would supply the needs of Cape Town until at least 2020 but experts told the City of CT then that the dam was too small and they would be extremely lucky if it lasted beyond 2012.

The Western Cape Water Supply System is jointly owned by the City of Cape Town and the Department of Water Affairs so the DA is being disingenuous accusing the ANC gov of failing to develop infrastructure. This is all provably the result of piss-poor planning and bad management by the City who have consistently ignored a plethora of experts who have been telling them for years they need to make a plan, it remains their responsibility to request funding from government, which they have not done. If they had been pushing for funds and presenting plans etc and been turned down they could accuse the ANC but the bottom line is that they haven't. So they can't whine that government didn't do anything when they never asked.

 

[2023]

It is not so simple to do what the DA (and you) are doing and turn around and blame the Dep. of Water Affairs for the crisis.

Ah, I never blamed the DWA.

 

[Gordon_R]

If CT needed new dams it is and was the responsibility of the municipality to put together a proposal or submit whatever particular paperwork is necessary to get the funding.

When the Berg River dam was completed in 2009 the expectation was that it would supply the needs of Cape Town until at least 2020 but experts told the City of CT then that the dam was too small and they would be extremely lucky if it lasted beyond 2012

When the Berg River dam was completed in 2009, it was made abundantly clear that no further major dams would be built in the Western Cape.

Alternative water sources such as the aquifer still require a licence from DWA to exploit (not sure about desalination), and environmental impact assesments before they can be implemented. We all know how time consuming and contentious these processes can be.

Rainwater is the cheapest source, and the alternatives will cost more, both in capital expenditure (infrastructure), and running costs (pumping). These costs will have to be recovered somehow, and putting up the price of water brings us back the to the beginning again.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and any decision (or lack of decision) can be second-guessed and criticised afterwards. If we had built a huge desalination plant in 2012, during the 2013-15 period some would have said its a white elephant and wasteful expenditure.

We probably agree on several things, but the blame game is not one of them.

 

[Zoomzoom]

When the Berg River dam was completed in 2009, it was made abundantly clear that no further major dams would be built in the Western Cape.

Alternative water sources such as the aquifer still require a licence from DWA to exploit (not sure about desalination), and environmental impact assesments before they can be implemented. We all know how time consuming and contentious these processes can be.

Rainwater is the cheapest source, and the alternatives will cost more, both in capital expenditure (infrastructure), and running costs (pumping). These costs will have to be recovered somehow, and putting up the price of water brings us back the to the beginning again.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and any decision (or lack of decision) can be second-guessed and criticised afterwards. If we had built a huge desalination plant in 2012, during the 2013-15 period some would have said its a white elephant and wasteful expenditure.

We probably agree on several things, but the blame game is not one of them.

I think that the point is that many experts have telling them for years that more forward planning was needed. And yes research and environmental impacts and sourcing funding takes time, which is why YOU DO IT BEFORE YOU NEED IT!

What you don't do is ignore it entirely, hope like crazy there is enough rain to keep you out of trouble and then run around like a headless chicken when the supply runs out (as the DA were told repeatedly it would) trying to blame everyone but yourselves in an effort to gouge as much out of the disaster as possible and trying to maintain your public image as the 'good guys'.

 

[Gordon_R]

Interesting article: https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2017-08-31-how-severe-is-the-droughta
CSAG is an internationally respected organisation

Based on frequency analysis of Altydgedacht’s rainfall, the 2017 total is expected to occur once in 325 years on average.

Using frequency analysis methods that account for autocorrelation gives these return intervals of the cumulative rainfall in the past two, three, four and five years:

two-year rainfall (2016–2017): 1150 years
three-year rainfall (2015–2017): 628 years
four-year rainfall (2014–2017): 63 years
five-year rainfall (2013–2017): 10 years.

The low rainfall total of the two-year event (2016–2017) and three-year event (2015–2017) are very, very rare.

The results somewhat exonerate the Cape’s government, as well as the water engineers designing Cape Town’s water supply system, from blame for the current water crisis. Water supply systems are usually designed with an assurance rate of 97%, which means that in the worst case they may fail only 3% of time.

Related article: https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2017-08-25-uct-underprepared-for-drought

According to Dr Kevin Winter, from the UCT Future Water Institute and Water Task Team, UCT’s campuses are largely underprepared for managing the ongoing drought.

 

[Spliffcat]

When you open the taps and nothing comes out...

Has this happened in Cape Town???

Well it happens in a load of towns in SA. Never mind the mine shafts aka potholes, no electricity no F all.

Sure the politicians are highly intelligent and doing their jobs and not stealing and should have foreseen this drought.

Point being. Stop biatching about it and make plans.

 

[Gordon_R]

When you open the taps and nothing comes out...

Has this happened in Cape Town???

Happened in the early 1900s before Steenbras dam was built. Cape Town has always outstripped its water supplies every few decades.

 

[Archer]

Sure the politicians are highly intelligent and doing their jobs and not stealing and should have foreseen this drought..

Should've foreseen the drought that is only likely to occur every 1000 years?
This thread still delivers on the comedy front

 

[The_Assimilator]

Interesting article: https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2017-08-31-how-severe-is-the-droughta
CSAG is an internationally respected organisation

A better link, without broken images: http://www.csag.uct.ac.za/2017/08/28/how-severe-is-this-drought-really/

 

[Gordon_R]

A better link, without broken images: http://www.csag.uct.ac.za/2017/08/28/how-severe-is-this-drought-really/

Thanks for the link. Too much science for some people on this forum, they just want to blame!

/sarcasm

 

[Azg]

Thanks for the link. Too much science for some people on this forum, they just want to blame!

/sarcasm

Even without the drought the City of Cape Town knew that water demand would outstrip supply by 2019/2020 (due to population and economic growth, possibly climate change). The City of Cape Town has alway stated that they were working on solutions and alternative water sources to prevent the impending water shortage ( desalination, raising dam walls, waste treatment, better leak management, earlier implementation of water restrictions etc).

The snail's pace at which the planning and implementation of these solutions has progressed has led to this looming disaster.

 

[Geoff.D]

Thanks for the link to the analysis, at least an objective well motivated article.

I also tend to take issue with the CT authorities, because over many years, they avoided doing what laymen could see was necessary and not necessarily at an exorbitant cost either.

(1) Proper waste water treatment plants. Required regardless, instead they have tuned the western seaboard into a sewerage pit.
(2) Water desalination plants: Amazing that Namibia took a design from SA and turned it into a very successful operation many years ago.
(3) Proper management of the water restrictions. Taking action and prosecuting those that should be prosecuted long ago.
(4) Implementation of the many recommendations made over years and years of changes to the building codes to ensure that buildings and homes are built with water management in mind.

ALL the above points apply equally well to many other coastal towns and cities and certainly points 3 and 4 apply across the country.

 

[Garson007]

Keeping Cape Town "green and beautiful" is part of the problem. The fact is that natural fields of lush green grass are simply not what the ecosystem in this part of the world can support. Ditto for swimming pools.

That's why we have those things called dams. So we can transplant that "natural fields of lush green grass" to wherever we live. This isn't the Namib. We get enough rain.

 

[BTTB]

That's why we have those things called dams. So we can transplant that "natural fields of lush green grass" to wherever we live. This isn't the Namib. We get enough rain.

Actually in "normal" years the Cape can be a very wet place.
The principle of planting vegetation, keeping the surface covered is of utmost importance. It allows all rain that does fall to be accepted back into the earth, thus replenishing the aquifer.

People here may not know, but from what I have gleamed from overseas Cities and Towns that have water shortfalls, its the same theme across the entire US as example, the practice of encouraging gardening but under the 7 Principles of Xeriscaping, which can reduce up to 46% of your needs, at the same time having a garden to enjoy. However the theme under these principles is practical turf areas, which basically means you plan for just what you need, usually in the backyard for the children and pets and the rest is landscaped with organic and inorganic mulch with a nice compliment of Xeric (drought tolerant) plants.

My experience is that many people in the Cape are not schooled in this thinking. Look at many Schools on the Cape Flats, just meters above one the biggest natural marvel of Aquifers and the playing fields are weeds, cape royal/kikuyu mix that comes alive in winter and patches of green and sand in summer. Nothing for the kids to play on, yet the Schools are run by so called learned people, they call them teachers, but they cannot even maintain a sports field. Probably rather piss of home early than help the kids with activities.

Gets me riled up. We live in a relatively dumb society, like a lost generation.

Agriculture is the key to upliftment. How did the Cape Colony start if it was not for Agriculture and feeding the ships doing the Spice Route.
You can start off with nothing in life, but if you have soil, water, some compost and seeds, you can feed yourself. In time your excess produce can be sold for cash with which you buy the basics you cannot grow and so on and so forth.

Everyone is caught up in a scarcity mindset. FFS, its a level of dams 60kms away from Cape Town, sitting on top of a mountain, a potable water crises, not the end of the world.
There is plenty of water, just look below your feet.

 

[Syphonx]

Actually in "normal" years the Cape can be a very wet place.
The principle of planting vegetation, keeping the surface covered is of utmost importance. It allows all rain that does fall to be accepted back into the earth, thus replenishing the aquifer.

People here may not know, but from what I have gleamed from overseas Cities and Towns that have water shortfalls, its the same theme across the entire US as example, the practice of encouraging gardening but under the 7 Principles of Xeriscaping, which can reduce up to 46% of your needs, at the same time having a garden to enjoy. However the theme under these principles is practical turf areas, which basically means you plan for just what you need, usually in the backyard for the children and pets and the rest is landscaped with organic and inorganic mulch with a nice compliment of Xeric (drought tolerant) plants.

My experience is that many people in the Cape are not schooled in this thinking. Look at many Schools on the Cape Flats, just meters above one the biggest natural marvel of Aquifers and the playing fields are weeds, cape royal/kikuyu mix that comes alive in winter and patches of green and sand in summer. Nothing for the kids to play on, yet the Schools are run by so called learned people, they call them teachers, but they cannot even maintain a sports field. Probably rather piss of home early than help the kids with activities.

Gets me riled up. We live in a relatively dumb society, like a lost generation.

Agriculture is the key to upliftment. How did the Cape Colony start if it was not for Agriculture and feeding the ships doing the Spice Route.
You can start off with nothing in life, but if you have soil, water, some compost and seeds, you can feed yourself. In time your excess produce can be sold for cash with which you buy the basics you cannot grow and so on and so forth.

Everyone is caught up in a scarcity mindset. FFS, its a level of dams 60kms away from Cape Town, sitting on top of a mountain, a potable water crises, not the end of the world.
There is plenty of water, just look below your feet.

You seem to be under the impression that installing and maintaining a borehole is free, schools on the cape flats have higher priorities than keeping their field green during the summer.

 

[Zoomzoom]

Even without the drought the City of Cape Town knew that water demand would outstrip supply by 2019/2020 (due to population and economic growth, possibly climate change). The City of Cape Town has alway stated that they were working on solutions and alternative water sources to prevent the impending water shortage ( desalination, raising dam walls, waste treatment, better leak management, earlier implementation of water restrictions etc).

The snail's pace at which the planning and implementation of these solutions has progressed has led to this looming disaster.

"working on" in politico speak = "doing f-all."

 

[BTTB]

You seem to be under the impression that installing and maintaining a borehole is free, schools on the cape flats have higher priorities than keeping their field green during the summer.

Never said anything about the cost. Probably the biggest issue would be theft of the pumps but that for some other thread.
Many of these Schools have recently started vegetable gardens so they would need water for that anyway.
A well point will cost under R5000 to that end.

Things go back to basics like I mentioned earlier about Agriculture.
The Schools I went to in the 70s and 80s all had excellent sports fields and you were obligated to take one summer and one winter sport. That being said I preferred to go fishing on weekends than play sport but my point is its once again about basics, sport can go a long way in giving the children a balanced education ..... socialising, fitness, letting off steam. So much can be said in regards to sport at School, its should be a given, not a luxury seen at only leafy suburb Schools.

So apologies for calling you out on your comment, priorities also need to encompass a healthy environment which should include green playing fields for the children. This is a potable water crises, not an underground water crises.

To give you an example. A School near us, previously white School, built in 1906 with a great history, all the playing fields are laying fallow, since long before the potable water crises. End of story.